"If McGrath doesn't step on that ball, we win the Ashes. Probably 5-0"

[Riggins]

Also the segment Sky had on him was top quality. **** McGrath was amazing.

Sky really cheapened the "Cricket's Greatest" theme they had going on for an hour by following McGrath with a hack like Kallis.

Are these available online do you know?

And no one shot McGrath - he stood on a ball in a warm-up drill that I think I'm fairly safe in saying was placed there by his own side, not the man on the grassy knoll.

Not that it matters or trying to push a deliberate conspiracy or anything, but I thought it was generally accepted that the ball came from the England camp hitting up on the other side of the ground?

 

[SteveNZ]

Are these available online do you know?



Not that it matters or trying to push a deliberate conspiracy or anything, but I thought it was generally accepted that the ball came from the England camp hitting up on the other side of the ground?

Right...I wasn't aware. That is grassy knoll stuff. It'd definitely get a run if it happened in 2015 wouldn't it?

 

[morgieb]

Right...I wasn't aware. That is grassy knoll stuff. It'd definitely get a run if it happened in 2015 wouldn't it?

Murray Mints > placing balls on the pitch.

 

[Riggins]

I reckon the fact that everyone has worked out how to get reverse swing in the last 10 years or so should put to bed that murray mint crap.

 

[SteveNZ]

Murray Mints > placing balls on the pitch.

I'm not the right person to adjudicate on that, because I'm from the Wasim Akram 'their bats keep getting bigger, we should be able to do whatever we want' school.

 

[GIMH]

I reckon the fact that everyone has worked out how to get reverse swing in the last 10 years or so should put to bed that murray mint crap.

Burgey to comment

 

[Furball]

Are these available online do you know?

Don't appear to be. Sky Sports | Cricket's Greatest is the link for the series but there doesn't appear to be anywhere where you can watch them I'm afraid.

 

[Riggins]

Burgey to comment

Hey I still think they're dodgey ****s, just the suggestion that the only reason there was reverse swing that summer was because of the mints is probably misleading.

 

[vic_orthdox]

It is a great "what if".

 

[LegionOfBrad]

Last wicket partnerships aside Aus were barely in a few of the games. Their batsman simply couldn't cope. That may well have come from the fact that they were weren't used to facing a team going at them with the bat and putting scoreboard pressure on them (which wouldn't have happened had not McGrath trod on the ball)

If you watch the highlights some of the dismissals were as lolworthy as what happened at Chester-le-Street in 2013.

Besides its very hard to get a 5-0 in England as you can never ever guarantee the weather.

Also forgot to mention the fact that unfortunately for the Aussies it was the series where age caught up with Dizzy.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Also forgot to mention the fact that unfortunately for the Aussies it was the series where age caught up with Dizzy.

Also Kasprowicz dropped right off too. In fact the whole attack bar Warne was below par for various reasons.

 

[Redbacks]

Haydos is dreaming if he thinks we could have won 5-0. We might have draw/won the series though. On balance we were outplayed and really only Warne, self-belief and the ability of the lower order to scrap kept us in it.

 

[Tangles]

He is an idiot.

 

[BigBrother]

Not many teams have ever come back from 2-0 down so, if that occurred, they probably would have won the series. But I don't think it's a given at all that they'd have won even if McGrath played. It says a lot about the success of English plans to the Aussie bats that both of their two best bowlers had brilliant series' yet the team was beaten comfortably.

 

[GIMH]

Would have been 4-1 but for rain and that's a fact Eric bischoff

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Haydos is dreaming if he thinks we could have won 5-0. We might have draw/won the series though. On balance we were outplayed and really only Warne, self-belief and the ability of the lower order to scrap kept us in it.

This is about right. 5-0 is pure fancy on Haydos part but I definitely think it changed the series, dropping the confidence of the Aussies and giving the Poms that little extra spark they needed. Not sure we would've won or anything, but do you think McGrath might have saved those few runs that Kasper and Lee fell short by? Probably.

 

[CaptainGrumpy]

I think Hayden's right - but it didn't happen. Australia cheated for years playing that robotic metronome bowling machine Glenn McGrath who clearly was not human but a droid but due to mechanical failure in 2005 he was not able to take a full part in the series. Between him and that younger blonde reincarnation of Hugh Hefner, who definitely bowled with a bent wrist so as to turn the ball in both directions, they skittled teams for years by cheating. Both their records need an asterisk, in my opinion.

Speaking of which, I am not entirely convinced that Ryan Harris is not partly bionic either. ICC need to investigate this.

 

[adub]

[Speaking of which, I am not entirely convinced that Ryan Harris is not partly bionic either]

Once the doctors finish rebuilding his knees after he retires he will be.

 

[Coronis]

I think Hayden's right - but it didn't happen. Australia cheated for years playing that robotic metronome bowling machine Glenn McGrath who clearly was not human but a droid but due to mechanical failure in 2005 he was not able to take a full part in the series. Between him and that younger blonde reincarnation of Hugh Hefner, who definitely bowled with a bent wrist so as to turn the ball in both directions, they skittled teams for years by cheating. Both their records need an asterisk, in my opinion.

Speaking of which, I am not entirely convinced that Ryan Harris is not partly bionic either. ICC need to investigate this.

Pretty shoddy construction then.

 

[Top_Cat]

Speaking of which, I am not entirely convinced that Ryan Harris is not partly bionic either. ICC need to investigate this.

He sort-of is, his recon was done with an artificial ligament. 10 years ago a quick who needed a new ACL in their early 30's, Test career over. As it stands, he'll need a replacement in a few years and he's probably worsened the morbidity of the knee but I'd guesstimate that getting the fake ligament has given him 4-5 additional years of Test cricket.